


Candles and Starlight

by Writer_Geekgirl



Series: Castiel and Dean: An Apocalyptic Love Story [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Destiel Promptober, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Picnics, Romantic Gestures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 17:22:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21039929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_Geekgirl/pseuds/Writer_Geekgirl
Summary: Dean arranges for a romantic evening with Castiel.This work is part of a Destiel Promptober 2019 prompt series. The stories are inspired by two different word prompts each day but the short vignettes will all tie in together and weave a larger story. Each story will be standalone (for the most part).The prompts for the day are: Overgrown and Candles, Candles, Candles





	Candles and Starlight

Dean hadn't known what to expect from Castiel after the return of his memories, but it wasn't Castiel staying in the library, translating tomes, comparing notes with Sam, chatting in hushed tones with Rowena, and mostly ignoring him. He paced back and forth. He was bored. The bunker was exciting at first, but now that the newness had worn off, he wanted to be out doing something; hunting things, saving people, something.

He prowled outside, investigating the bunker's surroundings, with Dog at his heels. In a clearing, he found an overgrown garden. There were signs of once cultivated flowers that now grew in wild abandon. The snow had killed most of them off, but now that it had melted little pockets of flowers remained. He wasn't a romantic kind of guy, but this seemed kind of romantic. He and Castiel were at a stalemate in their relationship. Neither one seemed to want to take the next step. He didn't want to push Castiel because he was still in rocky shape. After seeing the clearing, his mind concocted a plan to at least romance the angel a little bit even if the angel didn't really understand he was being romanced.

He picked some berries he had seen earlier in his walk and headed back to the bunker. He gathered some supplies returned to the clearing and then came back to the bunker once again to find Castiel.

Castiel was sitting alone at the library table when he returned. Dean asked, "Where are the others?"

"Rowena told Sam it was 'couple' time," Castiel put the word couple in air quotes. He didn't look up from his book.

Castiel's relationship with Rowena had shifted subtly since he remembered things. He didn't talk about it, but he was much warier of her. He even had asked Dean once if it was such a good idea letting a witch run with a loose rein in a repository that contained the most powerful artifacts and knowledge in the world. Dean liked the bunker, but he didn't think it was all. 

Dean bit his lip, wondering if he should rethink his impulsive idea. He asked hesitantly, almost shyly, "I was thinking we could use some of that too. Fancy going for a walk?"

Castiel's face shot up the table to look at Dean intently. "I don’t want to talk about 'it'."

Dean sighed. Again, with the air quotes. "I don't want to talk about that. I just want to spend some time with you. Out of here. It's stuffy in the bunker."

Castiel's eyebrow raised, "The air circulation system is working perfectly."

Dean rolled his eyes exasperatedly, "Can we just go for a walk, ok?"

"Ok. We should get Dog."

"No, I walked Dog earlier. Just you and me?"

Castiel stood up and ran his hand over his chin. He stretched as if he hadn't stood up in days. As far as Dean knew, he hadn't. "Ok, Dean."

Dean led Castiel down the trail to the clearing he had found earlier. He paused before going the last few steps. "So, Cas. I know you don't need to eat much and stuff, but I was hoping you'd indulge me with a picnic."

Castiel looked surprised. "Really?"

Dean narrowed his eyes, "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it."

"It's just the old you…" Castiel's voice trailed off. 

"Well, maybe I'm the picnicking kind of guy."

Castiel tilted his head, "It's approaching December, Dean. You'll be cold."

Dean grabbed his hand impatiently and yanked him into the clearing. Dozens of candles lined a blanket with a bowl of berries, two bottles of water, and two MREs. 

Castiel looked at him in astonishment, "You did this for me?" He sounded incredulous.

"Future me must be a real dick if he didn't do things like this," Dean scowled. "You're better off with current me."

Castiel snickered slightly before settling on the blanket. Dean sat next to him and leaned his head against Castiel's shoulder. Castiel picked up a berry and held it up to Dean's face. Dean opened his mouth, and Castiel neatly popped the berry in. Castiel said in a husky voice, "You are full of surprises."

They settled comfortably together. Castiel insisted on feeding Dean berries. He refused an MRE for himself but would occasionally grab a berry for himself. They fell into a comfortable silence.

As they finished eating, Dean said, "I had a girl I really cared about. Her name was Cassie. She taught me the joys of candle-lit picnics."

Castiel kissed Dean's temple. "I'm glad you had that."

Dean frowned, "Cas, I feel like I really must not have treated your right our first go around. I mean we had a son together, so we must have, I don't know, dated or something."

Castiel sighed, "I told you I didn't want to talk about it."

"Tell me future me was not… is not a dick."

Castiel raised both eyebrows, "He wasn't a dick. Well, sometimes he was a dick. He suffered a lot more than you have. And if I have my way, you will never suffer the way he did."

"Tell me something you did together," Dean felt a growing amount of jealousy against future him, even though it wasn't a competition.

Castiel looked at him appraisingly before saying, "We didn't express emotion the way you and I do. He would never let himself have this because he didn't think he deserved it. We loved each other with every fiber of our being, but we hurt each other a lot as well. We'd get close to something, and he'd draw away. He wanted to punish himself."

"But he punished you too."

Castiel shrugged, "Maybe, I deserved to be punished."

"No, Cas. No way."

Castiel leaned back on the blanket and looked up at the stars. "You don't know what I've done, Dean."

"Then tell me."

Castiel looked at him with a glimmer of tears in his eyes, "If I tell you, we'll lose what we have now."

Dean felt uneasy for a moment, but then he glanced at Castiel's tear-filled eyes. "No. I'm not letting you go. Not now, not ever."

"Dean, I did some…"

A feeling of fear deep in his gut started to uncoil like a snake. Dean interrupted, "I don't want to know."

"But me not telling you things led to our ruination before."

Dean leaned over and kissed Castiel tenderly. "It will be different this time. I promise."

Castiel smiled at him, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'd like that, Dean."


End file.
